I Read Too Much

 I have written tens of thousands of words over this past year and a half. Those words have brought me to tears - tears filled with anger, frustration, fear, joy, and sadness. Some words I have put on paper for others to read, and some I will keep for myself. Those are my words. I read an article yesterday, or maybe it was the day before, that shared a famous author's outlook on the importance of writing and the success that comes from it. In a nutshell, he said - just do it. I wonder if Nike has a pair of shoes to go with that sentiment?! I am a full-time student. I am also a full-time mom, wife, and housekeeper. For added joy, I am a part-time substitute in several area high schools. One would think with this mix of influence, I would have many words to share. I don't. Yet, I do. See, words are the things that fly through my mind when I do not have a pen and paper, a keyboard and time, or a device to record my thoughts. These are the profound words I tell myself I will rememb...

I've always been amazed by those who hear the Lord speak to them and they fully know it is Him. I used to long in ways I never understood to have that same thing happen to me. Oh, hear me on this, it wasn't that He wasn't speaking, rather it was I who wasn't hearing. There's Speaking. Then there's Hearing. But both require Listening. Oh, not only to have ears that hear but a heart that listens. A few weeks ago, while doing my morning devotions, I felt the Lord nudging me. Wait, I need to back up a bit. I love learning. Honestly, more than I love teaching and you all know, well at least those of you who have read this blog for any length of time, how much I love to teach. I digress. For the last six months or so I had been doing in-depth Bible studies. Not your run of the mill read and fill in the blank ones, no these were dig-your-heals-in, read the text, learn the original Greek/Hebrew, draw parallels, and expose the very fiber of your soul studies. Y...

This past week the weathermen have been promising lots of snow. Different newscasts have thrown out varying amounts of accumulation and start dates/times. Anyone who's been this side of eternity for any length of time knows better than to take stock in the earliest forecast given. Then, anyone who lives in this general region knows better than to take stock in any forecast given! Regardless, I have spent the week with great anticipation of this year's "Snowmageddon". Like a kid at Christmas, I spent the week watching as the storm moved its way eastward, waiting with child-like glee for it to morph into this ginormous blue blip on the radar. Yet, as the week went on, neither did the radar develop a big, blue blip nor did it bring the with it the earliest promise accumulation of snowfall. However, that didn't stop me from waking up in the middle of the night to look out my bedroom window for the powdery-white goodness. You see, we were supposed to begin receiving...

I debated writing a "review" blog this year. Not because I didn't have a mountain of things to reflect upon, but more because I feel like my ability to voice them has been lost. Have you had seasons like that?  Seasons where you have so much to say but lack the ability to put it into adequate words?  Like in years past, I will share a list, in no certain order, of what the last 365 days held. 1. Life. It truly is a gift. I turned 40 last June. Each day seems to go by faster, seasons progress far more rapidly, and the silver shines through at an alarming pace on my head. Yet, the Lord above has seen fit to continually give me another chance to make a difference. I hope with each sunrise I can make Him proud. What a blessing indeed. 2. Marriage. The Mr. and I celebrated three years of wedded bliss this past April. I used to wonder at people who'd say they were married to their best friend and how it was even possible. After all, best friends are those people with wh...

I've been pretty quiet lately. Life has had its way of late. You know, those moments that turn into hours, which inevitably turn into days, then eventually weeks become, well, ultimately they become longer than you anticipated? Yes, those.  There's an old adage that says something along these lines -"The road of life is paved with good intentions," and yet another that says, "Life is what happens while you are making other plans." I don't know about you, but wouldn't it be nice if life just calmed down for a moment and let you have a say in it?! I recently finished a six week Bible Study called, The Quest , by Beth Moore. Ironically, the first day of this study was also a day that was immensely difficult for my husband, and in turn, me. For preservation's sake, I will not share the details of it, but know it was a storm that we did not want to weather and assuredly worked to negotiate any possible outcome that would prevent its occurrence. Agai...

I am currently in a Women's Bible Study hosted at my church's main campus. I love that I am geographically centered between our satellite campus (the one I regularly attend) and the main campus, but I digress. The Bible study is called, "The Quest" by Beth Moore. If you've never done one of her studies before, I encourage you to look into one. They are truly unique in their approach and delivery but you will, without a doubt, be filled with the truth of God's word. Now, back to this study! If you've followed my blog for any amount of time, you know my passion is teaching. It is the one thing, hands-down, I long to do with/in my life.  For those who are newer to this blog I'll spare you the deep dive (there are years worth of posts) - I have wanted to teach since elementary school. To save you some math that is three decades ago. While professionally I am not quite there, I don't doubt the doors are being fashioned and God will open them and allow...

I have a love-hate relationship with social media.  First, I love it simply because I can keep up on many things, most importantly what is going on in the life of my family and friends. Hate, well, because it does nothing more than exacerbate the green feeling I get when I see those highlight reels. Let me explain. How many times do you see people post about the lost job? The broken-down 15-year-old car? The leaking roof?  The kid who does nothing but sass back (yes, even though you are a church-going family)? The list goes on and on.  Those types of real-life sharings are few and far between. In fact, I am guilty of it myself. Like, who cares about my real-life anyway?  How many times do you see people post about little Johnny's first place checkers tournament win, or little Sue's handmade basket - which she just happened to do while underwater in less than five minutes thank you, or Jim-bob's promotion to supervisor first-class special super duper awesome line ...